Now that we have said goodbye to 2018, there are a lot of good things to look forward to in 2019. My husband and I have not gone to a wedding for so many years, and I have been impatiently waiting for my niece to get engaged to her boyfriend. Happily (not because of me) they decided to take the next step and their wedding will be in March! The whole family is very eager for the event.
Oddly enough, my three best friend’s daughters are all to be married this year as well. Now, I have four weddings in the same year, and all are women whom I love dearly. This is a perfect reason to put 2018 behind me and happily ring in 2019. It is also a big birthday year for both myself and my husband, (we are the same age) so we may also make some wonderful plans to celebrate.
Among all this madness, I will of course still be cooking and doing the holidays, as well as my blog. There will be more great recipes to be found and shared. I enjoy the pursuit of a new recipe, preparing it and deciding if it is worth putting it on my blog. I love every minute of it. On that note, here is today’s lovely recipe.
The marrying (pun intended) of the sweet potato and apple results in a delicious pairing of tastes. The sweet potatoes and apples are roasted to perfection and mixed with two savory spices that make each bite a unique experience. There is no reason not to make this, it’s likely you have all the ingredients in your pantry, so let’s get started!
This recipe is loosely adapted from Anne Burell and will serve 4 to 6 people who will want to replicate this wonderful dish once they’ve tried it!
Ingredients for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs fresh thyme, picked and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes generously with some olive oil, salt, cinnamon and cayenne.
Lay the sweet potatoes out on a sheet tray, place them in the oven and roast until they are very soft and mushy, 30 to 35 minutes.
Peel the apples and cut into 1-inch dice. (They should probably be smaller than I made them!)
Toss the apples with the lemon juice, some olive oil, salt, and rosemary.
Lay them out on a sheet tray and place in the oven during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time for the sweet potatoes.
When done the apples should be soft and cooked through but still hold their shape.
Sprinkle the walnut over the apples during the last 5 minutes in the oven.
Transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl and coarsely mash them with a potato masher.
Stir in cooked apples and walnuts.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
It’s that simple!
